PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Chyken Howse (ranked 6715 p4p, 4961 weight class) and Eiji Okada (ranked 613 p4p, 540 weight class). Howse comes to the cage accompanied by kill yourself. Okada is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Tomoko Soryo - Hug me Chicago. Chyken Howse has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Howse
vs
Okada

187 cm
25
192
0 - 1 - 0

187 cm
24
193
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Chyken Howse!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Eiji Okada!
The judges for this bout are Jeff Smith, Micheangelo Fripello and Chris Saunders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Howse closes the distance and pushes Okada back into the cage.

Howse breaks the clinch.

Okada drives through with a takedown into Howse's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.

The fighters are working up against the cage. Howse manages to wriggle his way back to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched against the cage.

Howse breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Howse gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Okada to score an easy takedown into full guard.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Okada stops Howse from standing up.
Howse utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Okada postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Okada missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Okada has gone for a leg lock! Howse slips out almost immediately though and dives into Okada's guard.

The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Howse wants to get up but he can't break Okada's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Howse definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Okada is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Okada is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Howse is aware though and is defending well.
Okada is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Okada looking for a guillotine here but Howse defends easily.

Howse stands and steps away. Okada gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Howse lands with a slapping head kick.
Danga de danga de dang - Okada scores with a four punch combination!

Howse closes the distance and clinches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Howse breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Howse lands a nice looking body kick.
Thud! ouch! good body kick from Howse - that will leave a mark!
Okada throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Howse sees it coming and avoids it easily.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A decent looking body kick lands there for Howse.
Okada looks winded!
Okada misses with a double jab.
Okada misses with a combination
and Howse counters with an outside leg kick.
Okada blocks a head kick by Howse.
A nice leg kick from Howse, right into the meat of the thigh.
Howse lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Okada avoids the head kick by Howse.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howse thuds a left hand into Okada's body.

Okada takes the fight into the clinch.

Howse breaks from the clinch.
Okada will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Okada shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Okada was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!

Howse bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Okada falls off balance throwing a combination
and Howse counters with a left and a right that stings Okada.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Okada manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Howse on his heels. He'll look to pass Howse's guard now, I'm sure.

Howse wriggles free and stands up.
Howse throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Howse avoids a kick to the body.
Howse thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Okada if he has to take too many more of those.
Okada tries to bum rush Howse with a series of wild strikes but Howse uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Okada takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.

Howse instigates a clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Okada is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Howse can't fight it off and eventually Okada manages to take the fight to the floor. Howse looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Okada throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chyken Howse dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Okada looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Howse!

Howse bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!

Okada shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.

Howse makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A slapping leg kick lands for Okada.
Howse throws a series of punches but Okada avoids them all with ease.
Howse throws a head kick but Okada moves out of range.

Okada closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Howse quickly recovers to half guard.

Howse manages to create a bit of space in order to work his way back to his feet. Okada keeps hold of his opponent and drives him back against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Okada is breathing heavily.

Okada has clasped his hands together around Howse's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Howse is trying to buck Okada off.
Okada throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Howse is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Okada can do to turn this around?
Howse is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Okada tries to score with some ground and pound. Howse controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Howse wants to get back to his feet.
Howse dodges the ground and pound from Okada.
Okada working the ground and pound from side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The strikes coming from Okada are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Howse is pushing Okada's head away, looking to escape. Okada manages to hold on to the position though.
Okada tries to advance to mount but can't.
Okada in side control, throwing shots but Howse defends.
Okada has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Okada lands an elbow.
Howse wants to get back to his feet.
Okada misses with an attempted head punch from side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howse is trying to get back to his feet.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters, thinking about a standup.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

Okada changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Howse looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Okada throws a strike aimed at the side of Howse's head but Howse avoids it well.
Okada throwing strikes but Howse manages to buck up and roll into a nice reversal - now he's on top in side control!
Okada tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Howse wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Okada gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.

Howse decides to stand up.
Chyken Howse is winning the standup battle so far.
Howse tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Okada manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Okada gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Howse breaks from the clinch.
Eiji Okada seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Okada gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Howse breaks the clinch.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Howse moves away from the strike by Okada.
Okada lands with a cross.
Okada keeps the fight on the outside.
Okada swings and misses with a hook to the body.
A punch combination from Okada misses.
A nice leg kick lands there from Howse.
No joy there for Okada, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Okada moves into the clinch.

Okada pulls guard effortlessly.

Howse decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Okada, up you get!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Chyken Howse will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Okada closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Howse did well to prevent Okada getting side control.

Howse manages to create a bit of space in order to work his way back to his feet. Okada keeps hold of his opponent and drives him back against the cage.

Howse breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Howse scores with a head kick. Okada tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.

Okada manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Howse on his heels. He'll look to pass Howse's guard now, I'm sure.

The fighters are working up against the cage. Howse manages to wriggle his way back to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched against the cage.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Howse pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Okada shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Howse napping and manages to drive through into side control!

Howse bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Howse scores with a slapping inside leg kick.

Howse has closed the distance and engaged Okada in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Howse's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Howse clinches with his opponent.

Okada jumps guard.

Okada is working an open guard so Howse takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Chyken Howse is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Howse is looking to clinch but Okada is avoiding it.
A solid body kick from Howse.
Okada fails to land with a series of punches.

Howse has taken the fight to the clinch.

Okada pulls guard successfully.
Howse has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Howse gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Howse tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Okada throws a right and a left that Howse avoids nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Okada drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

Howse throws Okada to one side and escapes!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Howse throws a leg kick which misses Okada's front leg but catches the back leg as Okada tries to avoid it.
Okada takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Okada misses the shot to the body.
Okada has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Howse.
Okada fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Howse slips a jab and a cross from Okada.
Howse scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Howse dodges the punch combination from Okada.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Howse rushes Okada and presses him up against the cage.

Howse manages to break the clinch.
Howse tries to close the distance and clinch but Okada swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Howse throws a head kick that half lands.
The fighters circle momentarily. Okada darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.

Okada is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Howse's half guard.

Howse kicks Okada off and gets back to his feet.

Okada shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Howse is trying to defend but Okada finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.

Howse manages to create a bit of space in order to work his way back to his feet. Okada keeps hold of his opponent and drives him back against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Howse breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Howse breaks from the clinch.

Okada moves into range and clinches up with Howse.

Howse manages to break the clinch.
Okada connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Okada throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Howse.

Howse gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Chyken Howse showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Howse has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Jeff Smith scores the fight 30:28
Judge Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 30:27
Judge Chris Saunders scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Chyken Howse!
A very excited looking Chyken Howse rambled incoherently for about 5 minutes post fight about how awesome he is. It was kinda funny for a while but then everyone got annoyed.
The defeated Eiji Okada had this to say: 'Losses are part of the game, I'll come back stronger.'.